Vilate Murray (1806-1867)
}} Vilate Murray (1806-1867) 1st wife of LDS Pioneer and Patriarch Heber Chase Kimball Vital Stats * Daughter of Roswell Murray (1769-1832) and Susannah Fitch (1771-) * 1806-Jun-1 : Birth in Florida, Montgomery, New York * 1822-Nov-07 : Marriage (1) to Heber Chase Kimball (1801-1868) in Mendon, Monroe, New York * 1832 : Conversion to Mormon Religion while in New York. * 1839 : Family Migration to Commerce, Hancock, Illinois (now Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois) * 1848 : Migration to Salt Lake Vallley, Utah Territory * 1867-Oct-24 : Died in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Territory Biography Born 1 Jun 1806 in Florida, Montgomery, New York, daughter of Roswell Murray and Susannah Fitch. Her family moved to Bloomfield, Ontario, New York, by 1810 and to Victor, Ontario, New York by 1820. Vilate wrote many tender and beautiful poems. One day Heber C. Kimball was passing through the little town of Victor. Being thirsty, he reined in his horse near a house where a gentleman was at work in the yard. He asked for a drink of water and the gentleman went to the well to draw a fresh bucket, at the same time calling to his daughter, Vilate, to bring a glass from the house. He filled the glass and sent her with it to the young man. It was not long before Heber again had business in Victor and became thirsty opposite the same house. But this time the gentleman waited on him, so Heber with the blunt manner for which he was noted said, "If you please sir, I'd rather 'My Laty' would bring it to me." On his previous visit he had understood her name to be Milaty. Vilate then brought Heber a glass of water, much to the amusement and good-natured teasing of her brothers and sisters. More visits followed and Vilate became as impressed with Heber as he with her. In time, acquaintance ripened into love and they were married 22 Nov 1822, at Mendon, Monroe, New York. After purchasing his brother's pottery business, for the next 10 years, he carried out his trades. He acquired five and a half acres of land, built a house and a barn, and planted an orchard. About 1830, they joined the local Baptist Church and Heber was baptized. Conversion to Mormonism In late spring 1830, was the First Missionary Journey of Samuel Smith to the nearby town of Mendon, Monroe, New York. At the time it was thought this mission was a failure since he could only hand out just one Book of Mormon and was otherwise met with much rejection and discouragement. But in just two years time, that one book would come into the hands of the Greene, Young and Kimball families which would be the source by which many thousands would join the new church and also the source of many future prominent church leaders. In 1830, three elders from the Church of Christ, the original name of the Latter-Day Saint church founded by Joseph Smith, visited the house of his friend, Phinehas Young. Heber visited the house at this time and was impressed with church teachings. Vilate was constantly willing to put others’ needs before her own. Several months after, Heber, Phineas Young and his brother Brigham Young encountered the Mormon missionaries, they longed to be with the other saints, and the group decided to take a 125-mile winter sleigh ride in the bitter cold of Jan 1832 to visit the Columbia, Lancaster, Pennsylvania branch. Vilate did not go. She stayed home and watched all of the families’ children so that the other wives could make the trip. Legacy This article is dedicated to documenting the family history for this person. There are several sources for a more complete biography: * Children's Friend - Chapter VII - page 74-80. - Vol II - Publ by LDS Church Primary Association in 1903. Biographical Sketch of Vilate Kimball * Life of Heber C Kimball by Orson Whitney - Amazon Books * Heber C Kimball Biography - Wikipedia * Mormon History - Biography of Heber C Kimball * Diaries of Heber C Kimball - see Signature Books Library * Heber C Kimball Nauvoo Home - Historic Sites of the LDS Church - Visit the brick home that the Kimball family occupied less than a year before they were forced to leave and faithfully gathered with the Saints for the westward trek. Family Migration to Salt Lake Valley * 1848 Kimball Wagon Company List - Mormon Pioneer Overland Trail Records. There were 662 people in Heber C Kimballs 1848 Wagon Train from Winters Quarters to Salt Lake Valley. This includes many members of the Kimball Family. Family & Marriage 1822-Nov-07 : Marriage (1) to Heber Chase Kimball (1801-1868) at Mendon, New York. Later, Heber would participate in the Mormon tradition of polygamy and take an additional 44 wives and have 65 children. Vilate bore him 10 children. # Judith Marvin Kimball (1823-1823) - died young (29 July 1823-20 May 1824) # William Henry Kimball (1825-1907) - LDS Missionary to England and Brigadier General of Utah Militia # Helen Mar Kimball (1828-1896) - Plural wife LDS Church Founder Joseph Smith (age 14) and wrote many articles about Polygamy. Later married to Horace Whitney, parents of LDS Church Apostle Orson Whitney. # Roswell Heber Kimball (1831-1831) - died young (10 January 1831-15 June 1831) # Heber Parley Kimball (1835-1885) - farmer in Salt Lake Valley, with 3 wives, several children - (1 January 1835-8 February 1885) # David Patten Kimball (1839-1883) - LDS Pioneer, participated in the 1856 rescue of Willie and Martin Handcart companies and later, president of the LDS Bear Lake Stake, and afterwards helped settle Arizona, as a part of the presidency of the LDS St Johns Arizona Stake. # Charles Spaulding Kimball (1843-1925) - b. in Nauvoo, m. Anna Sinclair # Brigham Willard Kimball (1845-1867) - Died at age 22 on the plains of Nebraska while returning from a LDS mission to England. No descendants. # Solomon Farnham Kimball (1847-1920) - m. Mary Pomeroy # Murray Gould Kimball (1850-1852) - died young (20 January 1850-27 June 1852) References * Spencer Kimball Family Ancestry __SHOWFACTBOX__ Category:Wife of LDS Apostle